Recent gang arrests in Mt. Prospect not part of trend, cops say
Mount Prospect police on Thursday said that recent arrests of self-admitted gang members do not indicate that gang activity is on the rise in town.
Police arrested three people over the weekend on weapons charges in two separate occurrences, including a shooting in which no one was injured. All three suspects had gang affiliations, police said.
The department issued news releases about the arrests to let residents know that officers have remained vigilant when it comes to gang activity.
"There hasn't been an uptick in the activity," Mount Prospect police Officer Greg Sill said. "We wanted to show residents that we're out there, staying on top of this."
On Friday, police arrested Juan Ibarra, 22, of the 700 block of North Salem in Hoffman Estates, and Ivan Avila, 18, of the 3700 block of Wren Lane in Rolling Meadows, on charges of reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated unlawful discharge of a firearm.
Police said the two fired shots in the air Friday night to intimidate members of a rival gang. The shooting occurred on the 1500 block of Canford Cliffs Road, police said.
On Sunday, police arrested a 17-year-old male who they say was carrying a semiautomatic handgun with a defaced serial number. He was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and will appear in juvenile court.
Police said an officer noticed the 17-year-old, who is a known gang member, acting suspiciously near the intersection of Cottonwood Lane and Linneman Road. The youth ran when an officer approached him, but the officer found him later and discovered that he was carrying the gun, police said.
"That's huge," Sill said. "Any time we can get an illegal firearm off the street is a great thing."
Sill said the department welcomes tips from residents who think they've seen something suspicious.
"We made the arrests in the first incident because residents called us and then were able to provide excellent descriptions of the offenders," Sill said. "That's a huge help. Anyone who sees something suspicious should call 911 and let us know."